Mining-machine.



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

n e MN No. 700,628. Patented May 20', I902.

H. B. DIERDURFF.

MINING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Oct. 14, 1896. Renewed Oct. 29, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Q Q Q No. 700,628. Patented May 20, I902.

H. B. DIERDURFF.

MINING MACHINE. 4

(Application filed Oct. 14, 1896. Renewed Oct. 29, 1901.)

(" M 2 SheetsSh88t 2.

m: nonms PETERS co. www.mmo. WASHINGTON, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEIcE.

HENRY B. DIERDORFF, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MINING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,628, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed October 14, 1896. Renewed October 29, 1901. Serial No. 80,460- (No model- To (11 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY B. DIERDORFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a portion of a mining-machine sufficient to illustrate the manner of applying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front cutter-head on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a front edge view of the cutter-head, the cutter-chain being detached. Fig. 5 is a face view. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the holding device. cutter-head, showing the holding device in position. Fig. 8 is an edge viewof a modified form of holding-wheel. of the boxes for the holding-wheel shaft.

In the drawings I have shown my invention as being applied to a mining-machine of the class in which each has an endless chain, to which are attached cutters.

A indicates as a whole a bed-frame, and B indicates a sliding carriage or movable frame. The latter is arranged in-guideways on the bed and can be fed forward or drawn backward by means of the power devices, which are generally mounted upon the rear part of the sliding frame or carriage.

When machines of this class are in operation, more or less difficulty is experienced, from the fact that as the cutters are carried through the coal bythe endless chain they exert a reactionary force upon the carriage and bed-frame in the direction opposite to thatin which the chainis moved. This causes not only straining of the parts of the framework, but also acts frequently to cause more or less of'the machine to move bodily in the direction opposite to that in which the cuttors are moving. Numerous means have been Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the.

Fig. 9 shows one form of holding device which I had found su- I perior to any that I was acquainted with, and the same has gone largely into use. In that case the holder was advanced under pressure with the carriage, it being thrust directly against the coal. The back pressure was one of the principal factors depended upon for preventing the lateral strain or displacement of the machine. My experience, however, with stationary holding devices of the character illustrated in that patent has shown me that under some circumstances there is a disadvantagev incident tosuch a construction owing to the fact that pressure such as above described is necessary in order to cause the holder to advance along its path under the coal.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a holder acting upon aprinciple differing from that of either the aforesaid rotory auger, the reciprocating pick, the cutterdisk,or the aforesaid stationary holder shown in my patent above recited. In the present case I aim to avoid the expenditure of power necessary to form a groove or channel for the passage of a holder, depending upon causing a series of points to penetrate the coal one after the other, they being supported in such way that the devices carrying the points can roll as the carriage advances under the horizontal wall of the coal.

In the drawings, 0 indicates the holding device. It is made with a central body or hublike portion 0, having a relatively large central aperture 0. teeth 0, projecting radially therefrom, which teeth may be made either integral with the hub or separable therefrom, as desired. Any suitable number of teeth 01 may be employed, it being merely necessary to have such a number that there shallbe assurance that as each point leaves the coal another shall be The hub carries a series of v brought Where it can engage therewith during the rolling motion of the holder. In crosssection the teeth may be of any suitable shape. The face at 0 may be vertical, while the 0pposing face at 0 may be inclined, as shown in Fig. 6, or both these faces may be 'similarly inclined, as in the form shown in Fig. 8. The holding device is mounted as follows: D indicates the top chain-guiding plate at the front end of the carriage, and D indicates the bottom plate of the chain-guide or front cross-head of the carriage, these plates being secured to the center thrusting and guiding rail E of the carriage. A slot d is cut in the upper chain-plate D, and e is a slot cutin the front end of the center rail E. cl is a cavity or recess formed in the bottom chain-plate D. F F are bearing-blocks which are adapted to be seated and withdrawn from the chamber provided by forming the above-mentioned slots [1 and e. G is a short shaft having its endsseated in these bearing-blocks FF, and upoig his shaft the holding device Cis mountholder 0 can be loose upon and rotate arou d the shaft G, or the latter can be loose in the bearing-blocks F F and have the holder rigidly secured thereto. I prefer the former plan.

By examining Figs. 7 and 9 it will be seen that each box is formed in two parts separable from each other and both separable from the machine. The bolts which fasten together.

the parts of the box F also by preference pass down through the cutter-head and engage with and hold the bottom shoe I in place. It is obvious that as both the lower and the up per parts of each box F are detachable or movable the holding-wheel can be put in a slightly-higher position when required by the wearing off of the teeth or from other cause, as the plan Well known to mechanics can be followed of placing a liner of suitable material under the box, which latter is adjustable as desired.

When the holder G is in place, it is largely inclosed by the chain-plates D and D and the center bar E, only the teeth at the upper part of the hub projecting.

The manner in which the devices that have been described operate will be readily understood. When the machine is at work and the cutter-carriage is being advanced, the front cross-head D D is gradually fed inward under the coal, the kerf H, formed by the chain cutters, being somewhat (generally about an inch) wider than the vertical dimensions of the cross-head-that is to say, there is generally about one-half of an inch clearance above the cross-head and half an inch below. As soon as the carriage has entered the kerf far enough to bring the holder 0 under the coal the teeth of the latter are caused to penetrate slightly into the coal. As the carriage continues to move forward the engagement of the coal by the teeth causes the holder 0 to revolve, and therefore said holder turns so that the next succeeding tooth is brought up to, penetrates, and engages with the coal. This device obviates the necessity of forming any grooves, channels, or supplemental kerf or incision above the main kerf formed by the chain, as each of the points in turn is merely pressed upward temporarily, as described, and the forward pressure on the carriage results in-said tooth leaving the coal,'and the next tooth then penetratesslightly and in turn ceases to engage. The amount of power required for this work is therefore reduced to practically nothing, as but little force is necessary to cause the rolling of the holder.

At I there is a shoe below the cutter-head. This is so related in its dimensions as to not only support the front end of the carriage against sagging under the influence of gravity as it advances farther and farther from the bed-frame, but also so as to insure that the point e of the holder shall be held up and compelled to penetrate slightly into the coal above.

There can be modifications with respect to several of the features of construction and arrangement of parts above described. The function of the shoe can be performed by ribs or projections extended down from the cutter-head instead of being a detachable block, as herein shown.

Some of the same advantageous results can be obtained if the holder be arranged to engage With the coal below the carriage and be combined with a block or pressing device to compel its engagement.

The holder can be mounted at some other place than that shown and above specifically described, the latter, however, being preferred, as it insures that the parts shall be arranged uniformly with respect to the lines of thrust.

I do not herein claim any of the matters which are claimed in my other applications now pending, (No. 397,712, filed June 27, 1891; No. 501,584, filed February 26, 189%; No. 557,740, filed July 31, 1895, and No. 558,765, filed August 9, 1895,) as I prefer to claim therein respectively and under proper relation to each other the novel and patentable subjectsmatter therein presented, and some of which subjects-matter are necessarily herein presented for the purpose of clearly illustrating the manner of applying the present improvement. 1 do not herein claim any of the matters incident to the bed-frame or to the form or parts of the carriage or of the chain, either by themselves or in relation to each other, these being among the matters included in the claims in said other applications.

I do not claim as of my invention the specific mechanism consisting of a chain or equivalent provided with a series of teeth or projections supported upon two wheels or the like and adapted to have said teeth move backwardly as the carriage advances and successively engage with the coal, as I believe that specific form of the device to be the invention of J. A. Jeifrey; but I believemyself to be the first to have combined with the carriage of a mining-machine of this class a series of backwardly-moving successively-acting teeth or projections of this character, to-

gether with an abutment or equivalent means,

bearing against the coal and acting in opposition to the teeth or projections. I am aware that it has been proposed to provide as such opposing abutment a moving device, such as another roller or wheel, in place of a stationary shoe like the one I illustrate; but While I do not claim, specifically, such a mechanism I wish it to be distinctly understood that I regard it as coming within the scope of my invention and being one of the numerous ways of embodying it.

\Vhat I claim is The combination with the bed, the carriage, resting upon and sliding along the bed and the laterally acting chain having cutters mounted upon and advanced by the carriage,

of the rotating holder mounted at the front 

